Are You Ever Embarrassed?

[No Censorship]

Are you ever embarrassed when Christians or other theists (to a lesser extent) make wild and crazy claims that have no basis in reality? I'm mostly talking about conspiracy theories that sound like the rantings of a schizophrenic, claims that obviously are too bizarre to be true. It's even worse when the zealots have a meltdown, lashing out in a vicious manner, when you simply question their beliefs. I've repeatedly seen this phenomenon in the You Tube comments sections.

Me: "Come on, do you really think that Elvis Presley sold his soul to the devil before he worked for the Monarch sex slave program?"

Person: "I read it in a book by an ex sex slave so it must be true, you Illuminati shill."

Me: "An investigation in a church magazine showed that he made up the whole thing."

Person: "The church and the magazine are both owned by the Illuminati".

[+DieChecker]

I usually feel embarrassed for them. Since that type of person often seems to believe just about anything, as long as it is phrased correctly.

Myself, I am not embarrassed when large groups of Christians agree on the same things, like if it is becoming a Season of Ministry, or if a bunch of people feel like they need to do Missionary work. These people I support.

[spacecowboy342]

That stuff cracks me up

[+and-then]

Are you ever embarrassed when Christians or other theists (to a lesser extent) make wild and crazy claims that have no basis in reality? I'm mostly talking about conspiracy theories that sound like the rantings of a schizophrenic, claims that obviously are too bizarre to be true. It's even worse when the zealots have a meltdown, lashing out in a vicious manner, when you simply question their beliefs. I've repeatedly seen this phenomenon in the You Tube comments sections.

Me: "Come on, do you really think that Elvis Presley sold his soul to the devil before he worked for the Monarch sex slave program?"

Person: "I read it in a book by an ex sex slave so it must be true, you Illuminati shill."

Me: "An investigation in a church magazine showed that he made up the whole thing."

Person: "The church and the magazine are both owned by the Illuminati".

My guess is there are as many uneducated, knee jerk types who are Christian as any other group. Christians aren't insulated from that silliness - just an easier target to ridicule. As the saying goes: We're not perfect - just forgiven by grace!

[White Crane Feather]

Some of that stuff does indeed come out of disturbed minds, but its a strange thing. Sometimes, if you respect what they say and really listen, there is a sublevel communication comeing from them. Almost as if they are trying to tell you something but its beyond their grasp to do so. They also calm down and try to hone this if they don't feal threatened. It's almost like a theives Kant double talk that only mellows out only when they respect you. These are some of the more extreme.

Embarrassed.... No. Compassionate... Most of the time. Just listen next time you run across a really bad one. Ask questions but to seen interested not to discredit or debunk. Eventually things start to make an odd sort of sense though jumbled around .

[spacecowboy342]

My guess is there are as many uneducated, knee jerk types who are Christian as any other group. Christians aren't insulated from that silliness - just an easier target to ridicule. As the saying goes: We're not perfect - just forgiven by grace!

I would hazard a guess that there are a higher percentage of those types among Christians. Ya'll have all the Young Earth Creationists

[spacecowboy342]

Some of that stuff does indeed come out of disturbed minds, but its a strange thing. Sometimes, if you respect what they say and really listen, there is a sublevel communication comeing from them. Almost as if they are trying to tell you something but its beyond their grasp to do so. They also calm down and try to hone this if they don't feal threatened. It's almost like a theives Kant double talk that only mellows out only when they respect you. These are some of the more extreme.

Embarrassed.... No. Compassionate... Most of the time. Just listen next time you run across a really bad one. Ask questions but to seen interested not to discredit or debunk. Eventually things start to make an odd sort of sense though jumbled around .

Yeah, even you make an odd sort of sense at times

[lightly]

nah. i'm only embarrassed at my own failings , not those of others.

[Grandpa Greenman]

New Age Pagans, can be very nonsensical. I swear, you can tell them anything and they will believe it. Most of the time I don't argue with them. It is just a waste of time.

http://youtu.be/q9EEbebegsk

[Beany]

Are you ever embarrassed when Christians or other theists (to a lesser extent) make wild and crazy claims that have no basis in reality? I'm mostly talking about conspiracy theories that sound like the rantings of a schizophrenic, claims that obviously are too bizarre to be true. It's even worse when the zealots have a meltdown, lashing out in a vicious manner, when you simply question their beliefs. I've repeatedly seen this phenomenon in the You Tube comments sections.

Me: "Come on, do you really think that Elvis Presley sold his soul to the devil before he worked for the Monarch sex slave program?"

Person: "I read it in a book by an ex sex slave so it must be true, you Illuminati shill."

Me: "An investigation in a church magazine showed that he made up the whole thing."

Person: "The church and the magazine are both owned by the Illuminati".

New Age Pagans, can be very nonsensical. I swear, you can tell them anything and they will believe it. Most of the time I don't argue with them. It is just a waste of time.

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Boy howdy, some new agers have as much dogma as any major religion.

[No Censorship]

I usually feel embarrassed for them. Since that type of person often seems to believe just about anything, as long as it is phrased correctly.

Myself, I am not embarrassed when large groups of Christians agree on the same things, like if it is becoming a Season of Ministry, or if a bunch of people feel like they need to do Missionary work. These people I support.

I'm cool with that too. I'm talking about conspiracy theories and urban legends. As a Christian, some of them bug me, especially when people don't question them. The naivete feeds into common stereotypes that are used to paint millions of people with the same brush.

[No Censorship]

That stuff cracks me up

I admit that I sometimes read/watch for entertainment. Still, the gullibility of some folks amazes me.

[libstaK]

I feel more entertained than embarrassed by some of the crazier conspiracy theories or faith based claims of my fellow christians.

I don't feel any personal shame where those theories are harmful to others because they do not reflect me or my christian experience at all.

I do feel angry though that so many are tarred and feathered because of the behaviour of a few.

I also get angry at those who use any wisdom teaching to con or harm others, especially by using the info to spout hate and retribution toward those who feel differently or disagree with them.

However in a world of 7 billion imaginations (humans) running around with a little information and big wish for excitement or adventure I am not at all surprised that a proportion of the population will go to extremes, it's not embarrassing as much as it is an insight into the human condition and where our desires and fears can lead us to.

[No Censorship]

My guess is there are as many uneducated, knee jerk types who are Christian as any other group. Christians aren't insulated from that silliness - just an easier target to ridicule. As the saying goes: We're not perfect - just forgiven by grace!

I agree with you. I hope that it doesn't sound like I'm singling out Christians. That's not my intention. I'm referring to a percentage of believers who lack general discernment and rationality.

[No Censorship]

Some of that stuff does indeed come out of disturbed minds, but its a strange thing. Sometimes, if you respect what they say and really listen, there is a sublevel communication comeing from them. Almost as if they are trying to tell you something but its beyond their grasp to do so. They also calm down and try to hone this if they don't feal threatened. It's almost like a theives Kant double talk that only mellows out only when they respect you. These are some of the more extreme.

Embarrassed.... No. Compassionate... Most of the time. Just listen next time you run across a really bad one. Ask questions but to seen interested not to discredit or debunk. Eventually things start to make an odd sort of sense though jumbled around .

I'm willing to debate and discuss their claims in a measured and polite manner, but that's impossible to do in many cases. This holds true for militant debunkers too. In fact, they're a lot like religious fanatics in their reactions to individuals who disagree with their views. That commonality may show that personality trumps ideology.

I'm embarrassed only when fellow Christians and theists automatically believe obviously absurd stories. They fall victim to all kinds of opportunists looking to make easy and fast money by fleecing the flock with false claims. Mike Warnke is the father of the modern era of this aggravating phenomenon. People still fall for his kind of con, though.

[No Censorship]

nah. i'm only embarrassed at my own failings , not those of others.

I do/say embarrassing things too, but you can't tell me that your parents/children/pets/etc. don't make you blush from time to time. If not, you're lucky.

[No Censorship]

New Age Pagans, can be very nonsensical. I swear, you can tell them anything and they will believe it. Most of the time I don't argue with them. It is just a waste of time.

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Yeah, you see the same kind of thing in the New Age movement. Send a check for a hundred dollars to me, and I'll tell you how to avoid being conned. You just have to calibrate your personal vibrating frequencies to raise your consciousness. I'll send you my book on reading auras and finding chakras for an extra Ben Franklin.

[No Censorship]

Boy howdy, some new agers have as much dogma as any major religion.

You're not just whistling "Dixie" past the graveyard. I'm glad that I joined that rational UFO cult.

[No Censorship]

I feel more entertained than embarrassed by some of the crazier conspiracy theories or faith based claims of my fellow christians.

I don't feel any personal shame where those theories are harmful to others because they do not reflect me or my christian experience at all.

I do feel angry though that so many are tarred and feathered because of the behaviour of a few.

I also get angry at those who use any wisdom teaching to con or harm others, especially by using the info to spout hate and retribution toward those who feel differently or disagree with them.

However in a world of 7 billion imaginations (humans) running around with a little information and big wish for excitement or adventure I am not at all surprised that a proportion of the population will go to extremes, it's not embarrassing as much as it is an insight into the human condition and where our desires and fears can lead us to.

That's a great point. It's a common phenomenon that can be found among all kinds of groups. I was fooled and frightened by some of the lies and mistakes when I was a kid, so I never meant to exalt myself. I learned from painful experience. I also must admit that a certain faction of Christians are more likely to believe bizarre and scary stories without doubt or question. Some cons take advantage of their gullibility. I mean, how many former leaders of evil cabals can there be? They contradict one another with their harrowing, perilous tales of escaping the Illuminati.

[029b10]

[spacecowboy342]

Waylon's always been my role model

[White Crane Feather]

Yeah, even you make an odd sort of sense at times

Well at least you are listening you can't hear anything with your ears closed. My friend Malaki is way gone. But these people are aware of something... Not what they say, but its deeper than that .... I can't really explain it. It's why I don't judge them, I probe their stories because I want to understand this. It's like a perpetual dream, there are symbols and truths to what they say, but its underneith.

[spacecowboy342]

Well at least you are listening you can't hear anything with your ears closed. My friend Malaki is way gone. But these people are aware of something... Not what they say, but its deeper than that .... I can't really explain it. It's why I don't judge them, I probe their stories because I want to understand this. It's like a perpetual dream, there are symbols and truths to what they say, but its underneith.

Yeah and no matter how wild something might sound at first I think it best not to dismiss things out of hand. Many things are accepted today that once would have seemed crazy. Except for the expanding earth theory. That one's over the top

[+DieChecker]

I would hazard a guess that there are a higher percentage of those types among Christians. Ya'll have all the Young Earth Creationists

I think it very possible that the religious element does have a higher percentage of conspiracy minded people, because conspiracy people are looking for Truth, so naturally they will look into religion, and very probably become a member of various religions/denominations over time.

There may even be a higher percentage of the mentally disadvantaged. Since most religious people are more accepting and will allow such people into their society and attempt to help them out.

[+DieChecker]

I have known several people who claimed to be Christians (and might have technically qualified as such) who were bat-shot crazy. I knew one lady who was always going on in a full on SCREAM about how Poke' Mon was turning all kids toward Evil. And how real Christians should storm the stores and burn those Satanic cards. She also said anyone that went to see a Harry Potter movie was possessed by the Devil. Admitting to trying either of these terrible sins, or any of thousands of others would send her into a Shrieking Hysterical Fit of accusations of that person being the Devil and a Demon worshiper, and so on. She eventually had to leave our church.